Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to an image forming apparatus and a sheet storage device each of which includes a storage portion configured to temporarily store an image-formed sheet inside a body of the apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
Some conventional image forming apparatuses, such as copying machines and printers, include a storage portion configured to temporarily store an image-formed sheet inside a body of the apparatus (the apparatus body).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-220905 discusses an image forming apparatus that includes, besides an ordinary discharge tray, which is located on the upper surface of the apparatus body and is usable in common by a plurality of users, a plurality of storage portions configured to temporarily store an image-formed sheet inside the apparatus body. In the discussed image forming apparatus, an opening configured to expose the sheet stored inside the apparatus body to outside the apparatus body is provided for each storage portion. The discussed image forming apparatus allows sheets to be stored into different storage portions for the respective users. Then, to take out a sheet stored in the associated storage portion, the user is required to perform user authentication using, for example, an identification card (ID card). The user authentication is performed by the user swiping the user's own ID card through an ID card reading unit mounted on the apparatus. When the user authentication has been successfully performed, the sheet which the user has issued an instruction to discharge is discharged to outside the apparatus body via the associated opening. This enables the user to take out only the user's own image-formed sheet.
Now, a case can be considered where a method of discharging even sheets for the same user after distributing and storing the sheets into different storage portions is more useful to improve usability than a method of discharging sheets after storing the sheets into different storage portions for the respective users as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-220905.
For example, in a case where an instruction is issued to perform image formation of the same document with a plurality of copies, a method of discharging sheets after distributing and storing the sheets into different storage portions for the respective copies can more save the user's trouble of sorting a plurality of copies than a method of discharging sheets after collectively storing a plurality of sheets into a single storage portion.
However, in the case of, as mentioned above, distributing and storing sheets into different storage portions for the respective copies, if the number of copies is greater than the number of storage portions, a method of simply distributing and storing sheets into respective different storage portions cannot be adopted. Furthermore, in a case where, among a plurality of storage portions, there is a storage portion in which sheets have already been stored, it is necessary to take into consideration the relationship between the number of storage portions allowing sheets to be stored therein and the number of copies.
Thus, in order to improve usability, it is necessary to take into consideration the number of storage portions allowing sheets to be stored therein, the contents of an instruction for image formation, etc., to determine an executable sheet discharging method.